Mechanisms of polarization switching in single-transverse-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers: thermal shift and nonlinear semiconductor dynamics

We analyze polarization switching in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, taking into account a proper semiconductor frequency-dependent complex susceptibility and spin-flip processes. Thermal effects are included as a varying detuning, and gain differences arise from birefringence splitting. We find that, for large birefringence, gain differences between the two linearly polarized modes are preponderant, and switching occurs owing to thermal shift. For small birefringence polarization switching from the high- to the low-gain mode occurs owing to the combined effect of birefringence and semiconductor phase-amplitude-coupled dynamics for a finite value of the carrier spin-flip rate.     

Parallelizing Tabu Search on a Cluster of Heterogeneous Workstations

In this paper, we present the parallelization of tabu search on a network of workstations using PVM. Two parallelization strategies are integrated: functional decomposition strategy and multi-search threads strategy. In addition, domain decomposition strategy is implemented probabilistically. The performance of each strategy is observed and analyzed. The goal of parallelization is to speedup the search in finding better quality solutions. Observations support that both parallelization strategies are beneficial, with functional decomposition producing slightly better results. Experiments were conducted for the VLSI cell placement, an NP-hard problem, and the objective was to achieve the best possible solution in terms of interconnection length, timing performance (circuit speed), and area. The multiobjective nature of this problem is addressed using a fuzzy goal-based cost computation.     

Theory of nonlinear Gaussian noise

We consider stochastic differential equations of the Langevin type in which the noise enters nonlinearly. In particular we study quadratic gaussian noise and we derive equations for the probability density under different approximations. In the limit of small intensity and small correlation time of the noise we obtain a Fokker-Planck equation which accounts for the main effects of the nonlinear noise. We present some examples and we discuss the consequences of our results in the analysis of an electrohydrodynamic instability in liquid crystals in the presence of external noise.     

Scaling in the structure of directory trees in a computer cluster

We describe the topological structure and the underlying organization principles of the directories created by users of a computer cluster. Users create trees with a scale-free degree distribution whose properties are reproduced by a growth and preferential attachment mechanism with a single parameter. The degree distribution has a nonuniversal exponent associated with different values of the parameter. However, the distribution of branch sizes has a universal exponent analytically obtained from the model.     

Quantum algorithms without initializing the auxiliary qubits

In this Letter, we construct the quantum algorithms for the Simon problem and the period-finding problem, which do not require initializing the auxiliary qubits involved in the process of functional evaluation but are as efficient as the original algorithms. In these quantum algorithms, one can use any arbitrarily mixed state as the auxiliary qubits, and furthermore can recover the state of the auxiliary qubits to the original one after completing the computations. Since the recovered state can be employed in any other computations, we obtain that a single preparation of the auxiliary qubits in an arbitrarily mixed state is sufficient to implement the iterative procedure in the Simon algorithm or the period-finding algorithm.     

Oxygen vacancies on TiO2 (110) from first principles calculations

We have carried out a systematic study of oxygen vacancy formation on the TiO2 (110) surface by means of plane-wave pseudopotential density-functional theory calculations. We have used models with the mean number of vacancies per surface unit cell being theta=0.25 and theta=0.5. The study comprises several kind of vacancies within the outermost layers of the surface. The use of a suitable set of technical parameter is often essential in order to get accurate results. We find that the presence of bridging vacancies is energetically favored in accordance to experimental data, although the formation of sub-bridging vacancies might be possible at moderate temperatures. Surprisingly, the spin state of the vacancy has little influence on the results. Atomic displacements are also analyzed and found to be strongly dependent on the particular arrangement of vacancies.     

Quantum Spectrum of Some Anharmonic Central Potentials: Wave Functions Ansatz

Based on the ansatz to the wave functions, the quasi-exact solutions of the 2D Schrödinger equation with some anharmonic potentials are reviewed and analyzed if admitting restrictions on the parameters of the potential and the angular momentum m. These potentials are taken as the screened Coulomb potential V(r)=a/r+b/(r+), the singular one-fraction power one V(r)=ar ^–1/2+br ^–3/2 and the singular two-fraction one V(r)=ar ^2/3+br ^–2/3+cr ^–4/3. The latter one is found that the hidden symmetry exists if substituting r–ir. It will reverse the signs of E and c of quantum system, leaving the remaining parameters invariant.     

Collision of a Solid with an Incompressible Fluid

We give a predictive theory of the collisions of a viscous incompressible fluid with solids. The theory is based on interior percussions which account for the very large stresses and contact forces resulting from the kinematic incompatibilities responsible for the collision. New equation of motion and constitutive laws result from the theory. Examples dealing with a fluid colliding with its container and with a diver impacting the water of a swimming pool are studied.     

Quantum Monodromy and Bohr–Sommerfeld Rules

This article is based on a talk given in Dijon for the 2000 summer school Topological and Geometrical Methods: Applications to Dynamical Systems. The standard definitions of the monodromy invariant for completely integrable classical systems are reviewed, and the link to the quantum monodromy observed in the joint spectrum of commuting operators is explained. The mathematical treatment relies on a modern and attractive version of the Bohr–Sommerfeld quantisation rules.     

Order parameter description of walk-off effect on pattern selection in degenerate optical parametric oscillators

Degenerate optical parametric oscillators can exhibit both uniformly translating fronts and nonuniformly translating envelope fronts under the walk-off effect. The nonlinear dynamics near threshold is shown to be described by a real convective Swift-Hohenberg equation, which provides the main characteristics of the walk-off effect on pattern selection. The predictions of the selected wave vector and the absolute instability threshold are in very good quantitative agreement with numerical solutions found from the equations describing the optical parametric oscillator.